The Curse
By Mei Eden
Author's Note: So I took a break…for a long time.. but people have been kind with comments and urging me on..so here's the next installment of The Curse. Yes, I DO plan on continuing and finishing this fic..as I kind of..sort of have a framework in mind of what I want to do with it.. Please, please review..comment, and give me feedback, as it serves as inspiration for me and gives me an idea of what you as the readers want..and how I could possibly improve. ^_^ Now finally, here's chapter 3..
Chapter 3
"Are you really going to cook..for those Sohma..bas… I mean,..the royal family…?" Kyou asked as he played absently with the onigiri (*rice ball) in his bowl. The visit from that Sohma samurai, Sohma Hatsuharu, had left him brooding since the day before, and the encounter with that badly disguised noble, Sakaguchi Yuki, had not done anything to improve his state of mind.
Tohru smiled gently. "Hai! I'm very excited.. Of all the people they could have picked, they found me! Mother would be so happy… all the wonderful skills she taught me,..I'm putting them to good use for people..and not just ANY people..it's..for Sohma-oji's birthday!.... but what will I cook? What do the nobles and royal family eat? They eat differently from us don't they? They probably won't like the simple things I make…" She looked worriedly at the little onigiri sitting plainly in front of her.
Seeing this, Kyou felt his heart wrench. Hurriedly, he grabbed an onigiri and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing fervently.
"Your onigiri are the best!! If the Sohma's can't taste it… they don't deserve to eat onigiri…What do they know..those damned rich nobles…"
Before it had completely disappeared down his throat, he had grabbed 2 more, one in each hand, and proceeded to devour them too. Tohru watched him for a while before she sat quietly down and wrapped her arms gently around his waist, leaning her forehead against his back "Kyou-kun…. Arigatou…When I'm worried..you always make me feel better."
At her light touch, Kyou stiffened, surprised, part of an onigiri stuck in midair, halfway to his mouth. He turned to look back at the head of soft brown hair leaning against him. No. Tohru.. thank you .. for caring so much about.. me. Very slowly, he let himself relax. I wish we could stay like this forever.
"I'll make onigiri then!!"
Kyou sat up straight in surprise, turning around to stare at Tohru. Her eyes lit with determination, her right fist firmly hitting her left palm in affirmation. "Since Kyou-kun likes onigiri so much.. other people must love them too!! Thank you Kyou-kun.. for giving me faith in my onigiri," She paused, seeing the rice stuck all over his face in a messy array, and laughed cheerfully "you shouldn't eat so fast though. Mother said it was bad for the stomach to eat too fast!"
Kyou turned away scowling. "You shouldn't say things like that… that people won't like what you do.."
Tohru stopped laughing and smiled warmly. "Ok… well.. I'll do my best!"
He stood up and walked to the door, grabbing his sword on the way. "I'm going out for a short walk… be careful at home.."
Tohru nodded cheerily. "Have fun, Kyou-kun. Don't be out too late!"
The sliding door slid shut behind him, and Kyou walked a ways, stopping in a clearing just outside the thick forest next to the village. He took a deep breath, savoring the cool night air. So many emotions had stirred within him in the past two days that it had left him unnerved and uneasy. I knew the past would catch up to me...damn Sohma's.. He reached into the depths of his hakama and pulled out a small, beaded bracelet, absently fingering it with his thumb and forefinger. Mother.. I couldn't protect you back then.. but Tohru... I'll protect her.. even if it kills me, I'll protect her from those bastards. He clutched the bracelet tightly in his fist, feeling the familiar anger rise up from within him.
I'll protect her no matter what.
Kyou dropped the bracelet back into the folds of his hakama and crouched into a fighting stance, his hand over the hilt of his sword. With one swift, fluid motion he whipped it out of its sheath and swung it forward in a determined strike at an imaginary opponent.
... No matter what ...
A pair of golden eyes watched him silently in the darkness.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Yuki took a deep breath as he stood outside the door leading to Akito's room. He didn't really want to see his brother today. The pressures their father, the shogunate, was placing on him seemed all the heavier lately as Akito's disease consumed him more and more. Perhaps the shogun was afraid his younger son would also fall to the madness. He often spoke of locking Akito away, isolating him in a dark room away from sight. "After all," he said, "what does a madman need company for..he's an embarrassment.." After much pleading from Yuki, he had been convinced to leave Akito as he was, at the end of a long corridor furthest away from the shogun's bedroom. And now here he was, in front of that bedroom, dreading what kind of person he would meet today. Would there be screams of darkness and pain? Would there be crying, brooding, and tantrums? Or would it be one of those rare occasions when Akito was Akito? Yuki felt a hand on his shoulder, and he bowed his head, acknowledging it wearily.
"Haru.."
His bodyguard squeezed his shoulder in comfort. "Akito needs you, Yuki… If anyone..I think only you can slow down the progress of his disease.. You two were very close once."
Yuki nodded sadly.. "Once.. it feels like a whole other lifetime ago…but you're right. Thank you Haru." Haru gently pushed Yuki forward, and with strengthened resolve, Yuki stepped through the door.
Akito's doves flew around wildly in their cage as Yuki walked by, and he stopped a moment to watch them. Poor creatures..they're just like us.. caged. He knelt down beside Akito's bed and watched his brother sleep restlessly, his face drenched in sweat, face contorted in pain. Even in sleep.. there's no escape for you. Akito's eyes suddenly flew open, and he clawed at the air, hand coming into contact with Yuki's own. Having found something familiar, he clutched desperately at his brother's hand, as if letting go would subject him to a torture worse than death.
"Yuki…. You're here.."
Yuki forced a warm smile and leaned over, hugging his brother. "I'm here, Akito.. don't worry.. I'm here for you."
The sick boy relaxed a little and sunk back into his pillow. "I had a dream, Yuki,…"
Yuki held his breath. Last time Akito spoke of having a dream, his eyes had taken on a wild glint, and it had taken him, Hatori, Shigure, AND Hatsuharu to hold him down to prevent him from hurting himself. But he seems alright right now…
"I had a dream.. where we were sitting at a table..at a banquet..thirteen of us.. me, and the 12 I invited.., .. having a feast..singing songs, eating, drinking,… It was so much fun, Yuki. I don't remember the last time I laughed like that," he paused, eyes tranquil, his lips curving into a smile as he savored the memory. Yuki felt his muscles relax a bit as he watched Akito in his rare state of contentedness. He said nothing, for fear of disturbing the fragile state of mind.
"And there was a girl there..not one of my twelve.. she was so beautiful.. I couldn't see her because she was covered in light, but I felt so very warm..surely she must be beautiful.. perhaps she was a goddess.." Yuki listened curiously. Akito had never spoken of women before. When they were young, before the disease had taken over, Akito had always been very shy. He never spoke with the women of the court, and although he was the older brother, when any girl came to speak with the two of them, in the end, it was always Yuki who did the talking. To hear him speak with such.. longing and admiration… perhaps even infatuation.. for any woman was, in itself, a rarity. Akito's voice suddenly broke, and Yuki squeezed his hand in reassurance. "…I wanted to hold her…" he whispered.
"But then she spoke.. and she asked 'Where is the cat? Wasn't he invited?..' and when nobody answered, she asked again and again, pleading for us to bring the cat to her because he belonged at the party too. When still nobody spoke… she began to cry." Akito became agitated, and his whole body shook with indignation. "She was crying for the cat… I wanted to hold her.. I wanted to make her stop crying.. but she wouldn't stop! She was ruining my party… and yet still..she was still covered in light. But I wanted her to stop crying.. I wanted her to be happy.. but she wouldn't..she kept crying.. and so I hit her… I hit her Yuki..I hit her to make her stop..hit her until the light was gone.. and I wasn't happy anymore because the LIGHT WAS GONE!! Why'd she have to care so much about the stupid cat..It's her fault the light disappeared!!" There were tears streaming down Akito's face now. He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Yuki's wrist with both hands, wrenching his brother toward him. Yuki winced in pain, suddenly very, very afraid. Leaning in close to Yuki's ear, Akito whispered, "Bring her back to me…. I want..her back.." and Yuki shivered as he felt Akito's lips brush slightly against his cheek. "Akito…." Yuki looked down fearfully at the pale hands fiercely gripping his arm.
Then, almost as suddenly as he had awoken, Akito collapsed back into bed, out of breath, letting go of Yuki as he fell. "I'm tired, Yuki… please leave me now."
Shakily, Yuki stood up and backed out of the room, watching as his brother closed his eyes and once again fell back asleep. He closed the door behind him and sunk down into the ground, arms wrapped around himself. Akito.. what's happening to you..?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Haru-kuuuuun! Cheer up..we're here to have fun, you know. You really should get out more and stop worrying about mousy boy."
Haru rolled his eyes as he followed after Shigure. Having bumped into him earlier while waiting for Yuki outside Akito's room, Haru had somehow been conned into coming along with him to "enjoy the springtime of youth" and to "see the sights". Looking around, Haru smirked, recognizing the innocent facade of beautifully decorated teahouses lining the street far out on the edge of the village surrounding the castle.
"So this is your idea of fun.."
Shigure laughed cheerfully. "Of course..what could be more fun than drinking tea at a teahouse.. being served by beautiful women.."
Teahouse.. what a joke.. more like a high class whorehouse.. Haru frowned as he continued to follow reluctantly after Shigure. He didn't like these places..he never had. He didn't agree with the idea of noblemen looking down on common "trash" for defiling themselves by seeking out prostitution when they themselves were committing the exact same sins under the guise of having a little "teatime", spending it with women dressed in expensive kimonos rather than cheap, gaudy cloth. In the end, with money, it was all the same. His frown deepened. Last time I came here.. a year ago.. An image of long, silky black hair flashed through his mind. He shook his head in a sorry attempt to clear it of the memory he'd buried deep within his mind.
"What does it mean to you?.. Love?"
Full red lips, and sparkling eyes, seeking..
"I don't believe in love"
A gentle hand, caressing his face.
"That's sad... because.. I've fallen in Love with you.."
Silky pale skin, pressed against his own.
"Hatsuharu-san.."
"We're here!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3"
Haru looked up, startled out of his reverie, and stared in shock at the teahouse they'd stopped in front of. The night wind blew gently, and the sakura petals of the tree in front swirled lightly, dancing gracefully as they fluttered to the ground.
"Shigure… what… is this place?"
Shigure looked at Haru curiously, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. "The Sakura? It's a teahouse I've been frequenting quite often lately… There's a beauty here.. that I find quite intriguing. She's quite famous for her beauty and talent, you know.. and you've been so gloomy lately. I'm sure she'll put a smile on that grouchy face of yours. "
Haru turned away in disgust. "I'm not interested, Shigure. I'm going home. Yuki needs me."
Shigure laughed. "Yuki needs you? A bodyguard in his own house? What for? He can take care of himself for now. You need to relax a little. Come come! You're young and free. Take delight in that.. enjoy the pleasures offered to you." He grabbed Haru's arm and pulled him up the steps to the door of the teahouse, slid it open, and pushed Haru in front of him. Haru opened his mouth to protest, but stopped when he saw the young girl with shy, hesitant eyes standing in front of him. Seeing the Sohma symbols on his hakama, she gave a start and lowered her eyes nervously.
"Soh..ma- sama… How…may..I serve you? Who would you like me to call out?"
What's a girl so young.. doing in a place like this? Haru stared at her in wonder.
"Kisa-chaaaan! How are you today?"
She smiled shyly, eyes widening at the sight of Shigure coming in behind Haru. "Haru-kun here is a little depressed. I'm pretty sure the beauty of this teahouse can cheer him up a bit..can you call her out for us? Tell her Gure-nii is here to see her. No one else will do!"
Kisa nodded emphatically, glancing once more at Haru before disappearing behind a curtain into a side corridor.
"Shigure…she's so young.." Shigure nodded, his expression becoming slightly more serious. "She came to Edo on her own in search of her sister after their parents died. It must have affected her greatly.. that period of time when she had to travel alone, at such a young age. She couldn't speak.. in fact.. she still can't. I don't know what happened to her, but I found her one day on my way here wandering about aimlessly, and I thought, 'what's a cute little girl like her doing all by herself in a place like this?' but to make a long story short.. because I know the owner of this teahouse is a good woman, I took her here..only to discover later that the prize geisha at The Sakura is her sister.. What a coincidence, wouldn't you say?"
Haru opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw Kisa reemerge from behind the curtain. Behind her, the curtain lifted once more..
"Sohma-sama.. it's a pleasure to have you at The Sakura. How may I be of service to.."
Full red lips and sparkling eyes..
Satin smooth skin ..pressed lightly against his own...
A gentle hand caressing his face..
"I've fallen in Love with you.."
Haru stared openly, a rush of memories overwhelming him, and he gasped.
"Rin…"
End of Chapter 3
Ok, that's it.. please, please, please review. =) Onegai shimasu. *bow bow bow bow*
